The present invention relates to office furniture units, such as desks, credenzas and the like, in particular to an improved lock arrangement therefor.
Lock arrangements for desks, credenzas and other similar office furniture units and/or work stations are generally known in the art. Some lock arrangements, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,417, are mounted in the center drawer of the furniture unit. Locks have also been mounted in the front of the unit, directly below the top, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,937. Concealed lock arrangements, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,385,642; 4,057,307 and 3,360,318 are mounted within the top of the unit to provide a compact, low-profile structure, and are referred to herein as "in-top" locks.
Heretofore, in-top locks, and other similar lock arrangements for office furniture units have been rather difficult to access, such as for repairing or replacing worn or broken parts. For example, in my prior in-top lock arrangement, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,307, a one-piece cover encloses the primary lock and link members. Removable fasteners secure the cover to the bottom surface of the top. The fasteners are positioned directly above the pedestals, to prevent tampering. However, in the event that the work station does not call for two pedestals underneath the top, at least some of the cover fasteners are exposed. Further, to access the lock area, the top of the desk or credenza must be removed from the pedestals, and disassembled. This is a rather difficult, time consuming task, which requires a relatively skilled mechanic, and involves somewhat heavy lifting.
In large office furniture systems, it is quite beneficial to provide lock arrangements which can be easily removed and replaced. This feature not only facilitates repair and maintenance of the furniture units, but is particularly important in "rekeying" to maintaining proper office security. Changing personnel and duties, as well as office reorganization, demand that the furniture locks be changed rather frequently, particularly in those areas of the office system in which confidential and/or sensitive materials are kept. The practice of changing individual lock tumblers and mating keys is very complicated and costly, and requires the services of a skilled locksmith.
Prior lock arrangements have also been somewhat susceptible to tampering and/or surreptitious entry. In those lock systems which operate with a fore-to-aft locking motion, considerble leverage can be applied to the lock by a screwdriver, or other similar tool, in an attempt to gain entry to the furniture unit. Although lock systems which operate with a side-to-side locking motion are generally considered to be more secure, prying forces which are applied to the lock assembly often result in substantial damage to the lock.